Category Archives: 3 – Indifferent (might buy, probably drink)

Boulevard Dark Truth Stout (Smokestack Series)

Brewery: Boulevard Brewing Co.
Country: USA
ABV: 9.7%
Style: American Imperial Stout
Other Notes: 60 IBUs. Malts – Pale Malt, Amber 50, Cara 120, Cara 300, Chocolate, Roasted Barley, Chocolate Rye, Malted Rye, Malted Wheat, Honey Naked Oats and Flaked Oats. Hops – Magnum, Zeus, Citra and Perle. Other – Brown Sugar and Dark Brown Sugar.

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Roasted English malts provide a deep, rich texture, Belgian yeast bestows plum-like fruitiness, and German hops add spicy aromas as Dark Truth Stout mellows to a smooth, dry, smoky finish.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.94
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.8

Intro: A 12 fl oz bottle with a best by date of 24th February 2017, and poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: It poured a pitch black colour with a one finger tanned head that dissipated quickly but left some nice lacing.
Aroma: Roasty coffee, chocolate, crème brûlée, caramel, some dark fruits like plum and fig and a touch of smokiness.
Taste: Similar to the aroma except the dark fruits and char smokiness are more prominent whereas the roasty coffee and chocolate notes are more in the background. There is also some bitterness on the finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate to low carbonation and a dry finish.
Overall: This was an interesting Imperial Stout. Body was a lighter than I prefer and carbonation perhaps a tad too high. But still definitely worth a try.

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Prairie Ape Snake

Brewery: Prairie Artisan Ales
Country: USA
ABV: 7.9%
Style: Belgian Saison
Other Notes: Brewed and bottled by Krebs Brewing Co., Krebs, Oklahoma

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Dry hopped dark farmhouse ale.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.77
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.6

Intro: A 16.9 fl oz (500ml) bottle with a Julian bottled on date of 00416, meaning it was bottled on 4th January 2016. Poured into a Cantillon ballon glass.
Appearance: It poured a dark dark brown, close to black colour with a big three finger tanned head with good retention and nice lacing.
Aroma: Funky, musty, wet hay with citrusy rind and a hint of tropical fruit and flowers.
Taste: Earthy, roasty coffee and chocolate, wet hay, rosemary, caramel, light funkiness and citrus rind.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate to high carbonation, dry finish.
Overall: I don’t have much access to many varieties of dark Saisons to compare with, but this was interesting. A little muddled in my opinion with the wide range in taste, yet in the end, it does still kind of manage to mix well enough.

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d’Achouffe Houblon Dobbelen IPA Tripel

Brewery: Brasserie d’Achouffe
Country: Belgium
ABV: 9%
Style: Belgian IPA

Brewer Description: (from website) Houblon Chouffe was brewed for the first time in 2006. It is an Indian Pale Ale, characterised by a harmonious balance between a pleasant fruitiness and pronounced bitterness by using three types of hops. Houblon Chouffe is an unfiltered beer which is refermented both in the bottle and in barrels.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.88
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.7

Intro: A 330ml bottle with a best before end date of November 2016 and poured into a d’Achouffe tulip glass.
Appearance: It poured a cloudy pale blonde colour with a big three finger white head that had great retention and left nice lacing.
Aroma: Belgian yeast and banana along with pear, apple and a hint of pine.
Taste: Pine, bitterness and lightly spicy followed by light banana and honey sweetness.
Mouthfeel: Dry, crisp, medium bodied with moderate tingly carbonation.
Overall: A nice solid brew that hides the alcohol well.

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Clan Brewing Spruce Ale

Brewery: Clan Brewing Company
Country: Scotland
ABV: 8%
Style: Herbed / Spiced Beer
Other Notes: Matured in Islay whisky casks

Brewer Description: (from website) A classic combination of two traditional methods of creating uniquely Scottish liquids: smoky peat on a sweet, resinous full body. Smoky, fruity, intense, full-bodied. Aged in Islay whisky casks for an absurdly long time. The perfect drinking occasion is to share these complex craft brews with good friends.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.36
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.1

Intro: A 330ml bottle with a best before date of end of February 2019 and poured into a d’Achouffe tulip glass.
Appearance: It poured a nice clear amber copper colour with a half finger white head that disappears almost immediately while leaving only very sparse lacing.
Aroma: Strong peat with maybe a touch of whisky, caramel, leafy and grass.
Taste: Sweet fruitiness that is mostly apple, medicinal peat and smoky wood.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with low to moderate carbonation.
Overall: The peat from the Islay whisky casks is obviously there and I like it. But after that, the taste is overly sweet which I’m quite particular with.

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Timmermans Tradition Blanche Lambicus

Brewery: Brouwerij Timmermans-John Martin N.V.
Country: Belgium
ABV: 4.5%
Style: Belgian Witbier

Brewer Description: (from website) There is no other beer like Timmermans Tradition Blanche Lambicus anywhere in the world because it is the only white lambic beer. By adding spices such as coriander and dried orange zest, a light, fruity beer is created. It is subtly spicy and deliberately made cloudy. Should ideally be drunk from an authentic stoneware pot.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.71
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.6

Intro: A 375ml corked and caged bottle with a cork date of 2015 and best before date of 10th May 2017. Poured into a d’Achouffe tulip glass.
Appearance: It poured a cloudy golden yellow colour with a two finger bubbly white head that dissipated quickly but left great lacing.
Aroma: Lightly funky, candy sweetness, orange, orange peel, lemon and hints of mango and pineapple.
Taste: Orange peel and honey sweetness is surrounded by a touch of lemon, light sourness and light funkiness.
Mouthfeel: Crisp, light bodied with moderate to high carbonation.
Overall: It’s overly sweet in my opinion, but has a nice aroma. The taste is actually fine but I would have preferred it if the sweetness was toned down or even soured.

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